This invention generally pertains to systems and methods for locking containers and other items to a surface. For example, the invention may be embodied as a device that can be readily installed on a transport surface, such as the bed of a pickup truck, and that locks the item in place to prevent or deter theft of the item. In another example, the invention may be embodied as a device that can be readily installed to or on a driveway or other paved surface and that can be used to lock the item to prevent or deter theft of the item.
One of the main failings of the prior art approach of locking an item to a surface is that the locking mechanism that engages the item (or strap connected to the item) is exposed to tampering. For example, the bolt on a padlock used to lock an item to an anchor on a surface is subject to tampering with a bolt cutter. And in such an approach the anchor itself is exposed to tampering with a bolt cutter or pry bar.
Accordingly, there is a need for a surface-mountable locking device that protects the locking mechanism and the mounting hardware from bolt cutters and pry bars and similar tampering tools.